Submarine boat.



No. 7|7,|0I. Patented Dec. 30,- |902.

S. LAKE.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

(Application filed May 28, 1901. Renewed Jan. A27, 1902.)

(No Model.)

M .y1/a,"

llaman STATES `SIMON LAKE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SUBM'ARINE BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,101, dated December 30, 1902.

Application filed May Z8, 1901l Renewed January 27, 1902. Serial No. 91,410. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine or Semisubmergeable Boats, of which the following is a specification.

In order to avoid the betrayal of its presence to an enemy, it is extremely desirable that a submarine torpedo-boat should travel toward the saine for an attack wholly submerged, so as to be entirely invisible from the surface until it has approached to within striking distance of the hostile surface vessel and has discharged its torpedo toward the same at such close range as to insure the destruction of the enemy before discovery. Owing, however, to the present imperfect development of the rnariners compass to insure its high efficiency in submarine boats and the limited range of vision beneath the surface, the effective employment of this class of vessels for offensive purposes has up to the present time seemed at least problematical, if not whollyimpracticable, as even'when partially submerged with only the top of the conningtower exposed such a boat offers a target for the small guns of a hostile war vessel.

lt is the design of the present improvement to materially reduce and to render practically unnecessary the exposure of a perceptible object above the hull of a partially-submerged vessel of this type, while yet retaining the important advantage of maintaining a lookout-point above the surface for au occupant of the boat from which to view the enemy to be intercepted and attacked.

To this end the invention comprises a transparent dome or observation chamber or compartment located upon the top of the hull, external thereto and connected with the interior of the boat, for receiving the head of a lookout, whose head only need be visible above the surface of the water, the hull being wholly submerged.

The invention also includes a trap-door seated upon a suitable packing and means for flooding the inspection-dome with water when beneath the surface to prevent its collapse under an excessive external water-pressure, as well as to destroy the buoyancy and cause the boat, with its superposed conningtower and inspection-dome, to settle beneath the surface.

It further includes a normally open checkvalve for admitting atmospheric air t0 the boat while the inspection-deine is above the surface, but adapted to close automatically when submerged.

It also includes a mirror attached to the inner or under face of the trap-door, whereby the latter is rendered practically invisible when in upright or open position'during the normal operation of the inspection-dome.

The invention embraces certain additional features of construction, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a submarine torpedo-boat embodying my present improvement with the upper portion of the conning-tower and the superposed inspection-dome or lookout-cham ber in section to expose their construction and manner of operation. Fig. 2 is a similar partial sectional elevation of the comming-tower and inspection dome upon a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation, upon a still larger scale, of the inspec tion-dome.

The boat is constructed with a hull a, a portion of which is divided into a series of waterballast compartments a (indicated in dotted lines only in Fig. l) and is surmounted by a conning-tower b, having the superposed transparent inspection -dome c, formed of glass or other transparent substance or material. This dome is preferably of the general form indicated in the drawings, of substantially iiattened oval shape, with upwardly-flaring sides connected by slightly-rounded corners with the arched roof or top, the curvature of such corners being shown, however, as considerably exaggerated. The arched roof or crown of this dome or chamber is illustrated as arranged in angular relation to the upwardlyflaring side walls and of substantially greater curvature, but may be obviouslyof fiat or concave form, if desired. The sidewalls terminate at the bottom in the lateral flange c', fitted to the top of the conning-tower and secured thereto by means of the cleats c2. The

top of the conning-tower b is provided with a IOO 'which it displaces.

beneath the surface and to sink the vessel to the water-line No. 2, at which the inspectiondome only is exposed above the surface, the vessel being adapted to dive at a moments Warning upon discovery without admitting water through the top of the conning-tower by reason of the superposed transparent dome covering its top door. It will be observed that owing to the angle of the external Walls of the dome c an observer from a surface vessel can neither see the body of the projecting dome nor can perceive the reection of light therefrom, which would be invariably reiiected downwardly into the Water. Also the mirror upon the upwardly-inclined open door rl will hide such door and similarly reiiect downwardly any rays of light from distant points at or above the surface of the water. It will therefore be seen that the only object exposed above the surface from the boat which is likely to be seen by those upon the deck of another distant vessel is the head of the lookout which would be perceptible only at a distance of a few rods therefrom, and therefore be practically invisible even with the aid of a spy-glass at any point beyond striking distance for the torpedo apparatus carried by the submarine boat.

To adapt the boat to be navigated effectively between the surface and the water-bed, it is desirable that the weight of the boat with its contents when submerged be only a trifie greater than that of the volume of water Inthe maneuvers of a submarine boat in actual warfare and in the presence of a hostile vessel or vessels it will be found practicallyimpossible to adj ust these relative weights with the nicety required, and I have therefore designed the observationdome of such' dimensions that when filled with water it shall hardly more than destroy the buoyancy of the boat when adjusted to the water-line No. 2 by means of the Waterballast tanks ct. ln order to provide for the filling and emptying of the dome c, the top of the conning-toweris provided with a waterpipef, leading from the bottom of the dome c outwardly to the exterior of the same and provided with a valve f', by means of which it may be opened and closed when desired. An air-supply pipe g, with three-way valve g', provides a compressed-air supply for use in expelling water from the dome o through the valved pipe f, the branch g2 leading downwardly therefrom to a permanently open water-ballast compartment a for controlling the contents of the latter. The dome may obviously be filled by opening the water-valve f and air-valve il, so that the inflowing water may displace the contained air.

It will be observed that not only does the admission and expulsion of water to and from the dome serve to vary the buoyancy of the boat, as above described, but the flooding of the dome operates to prevent any undue eX- ternal water-pressure upon the walls of the relatively fragile dome, the open pipe connection fbetween the interior and exterior of the same establishing equal internal and external pressures thereon, and thus obviating any danger of collapse during submergence. The trap -door d' obviously offers a safeguard for the occupants in case of the fracture of the dome from concussion due to the explosion of torpedoes in the vicinity of adapted when turned in one direction to draw the valve to its seat and when turned in the opposite direction to release the valve and enable it to regain its normally open position by the action of the spring s, interposed upon the Valve-stem between a collar 'i3 thereon and the bottom of the dome c. The valve t' thus constitutes an outwardly or upwardly opening spring-pressed valve which is normally raised from its seat to admit air to the interior of the boat, but is adapted to be automatically closed by external water-pressure when thel boat is wholly submerged, so as to prevent the inrush of water through the same. This automatic feature of the air-inlet valve t' is designed to be utilized only in cases of emergency wherein sufficient time is lacking for submergence in which to positively seat the valve by the use of the hand-wheel h or when a sea breaks over the dome and at all other times the mechanical closing of the valve is intended to be effected.

While I have in the foregoing description set forth in detail the preferred construction of the several parts of the present improvement, it is to be understood that the various details described may be widely modified without departing from the spirit of the vinvention. yIt is obvious that the particular form of the inspection-dome or observationchamber is wholly immaterial to the transparent and non-reiiecting feature of the improvement, so long as the side Walls and crown are angularly disposed and in such relation to the hull that each will avoid reflection of light in the direction of an enemy toward which the boat is directed from a source of light. Similarly the particular IOO IIO

type or construction of valves or the specific location described for the airand water pipes leading to and from the said dome or chamber may be varied to suit the diierent conditions for which the improvement is designed.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with asubmarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-cham ber attached to said boat and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a door or hatch for normally closing and for restablishing communication between the same and the interior of the boat.

2. The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber surmounting the same,'and constructed with conical or flaring side walls and acrown in angular relation therewith.

3. The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber fixed rigidly to the exterior of said boat, a normally closed door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, and means whereby water may be admitted to and expelled from said dome.

et. The combination with a submarine boat, of a dome or observation-chamber fixed rigidly to the exterior of said boat, a normally closed door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, and means whereby water may be admitted to and expelled from said dome, said dome being so proportioned that when the boat is running awash the filling of the dome will overcome the buoyancy of the boat and cause the latter to descend beneath the surface.

5. The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber fixed rigidly to the exterior of said boat and projecting outwardly therefrom, a normally closed door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, and a mirror attached to the inner face of said door and adapted to serve as a reiiector when upwardly inclined in its open position.

The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber secured rigidly to the exterior of said boat and projecting outwardly therefrom, a door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, an air-outlet valve in said dome, and means applied to said valve fornormally maintaining it open but for causing it to close automatically under an exterior water-pressure.

7. The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber secured rigidly to the exterior ofsaid boat and projecting outwardly therefrom, a door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, an outwardly opening springpressed air-valve in said dome communicating with the exterior ot' the same and adapted to close automatically to exclude Water from the dome under an external water-pressure.

8. The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber secured rigidly to the exterior of said boat and projecting outwardly therefrom, a door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, an air-valve in said dome having a stem passing into the interior of the boat, a spring for maintaining said valve normally raised from its seat, and means applied to the valve stem within the boat for positively pressing the valve to its seat to exclude water from the said dome.

9. The combination with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber upon said boat, a door for access t0 said dome from the interior of said boat, an airvalve in said dome having a stem entering said boat and screw-threaded upon its inner end, a spring for maintaining said valve normally raised from its seat, and a hand-wheel with internally-threaded hub fitted to the threaded inner end of the valve-stem and adapted to positively draw said valve to its seat to exclude water from said dome.

l0. The combination, with a submarine boat, of a transparent dome or observationchamber secured to the exterior of said boat and projecting outwardly therefrom, a door for access to said dome from the interior of said boat, a water inlet and outlet valve for maintaining said dome iiooded with Water duringsubmergence, and a valved air-supply pipe leading to the interior of said dome from said boat for expulsion of water therefrom.

ll. The combination withasnbmarine boat, of a transparent dome or observation-chamber having upwardly and outwardly flaring walls and a crown of different curvature therefrom arranged in angular relation thereto, the same being attached to the said boat and projecting outwardly therefrom.

l2. The combination withasubmarine boat, of a superposed transparent dome or observation-chamber of substantially oval shape with upwardly and outwardly flared side Walls and crown joining'the samein an angle along the upper edges.

Signed at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, this 23d day of May, A. D. 1901.

SIMON LAKE. Witnesses:

LEBBEUs B. MILLER, HENRY J. MILLER.

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